Sorry for the short chapter. There is more coming. I promise.
Abigail woke up from her sleep to an alarm clock ringing. She hit it hearing the noise stop. She rubbed her eyes looking over to the painting on her nightstand. "Morning." Aaron said stretching out from his chair.
"Morning." Abigail said standing up, as did some of the other girls who were getting ready for the day. She opened her wardrobe and then looked at Aaron. She set the picture facedown feeling paranoid about him seeing her undress. "I'll pick you up when I'm done getting ready." Abigail finished up her morning routine putting on her robes before lifting up the picture. "I'm going to get some breakfast before class." She put the picture in her pocket and grabbed her bag before heading out of the hall.
Abigail walked into the grand hall and took a seat at her table. She pulled out the picture and began piling food on her plate. "That's a little rude." Aaron said looking at her.
"Sorry. I guess you don't get to eat that much."
"I haven't eaten in years."
"I can put you facedown again."
"Just leave me up." Aaron stood up and began pacing around. "So, what class do you have first?"
"Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall." Abigail said taking a bite of a sausage link.
"I did well in that class. I still study it." Aaron produced a wand from within his robes and turned one of the books on the table into a kitten. He stroked its fur calmly.
"That's really cool!" Abigail said excitedly. "How did you do that without saying anything?"
"Practice." Aaron said turning the kitten back into a book. "Finish eating so you can get to class."
"I'm almost finished." She said taking a sip from a goblet of orange juice.
…
Abigail walked into the classroom and pulled out a sheet of parchment along with a quill. She looked at Aaron's picture under her desk. Aaron was looking around the room. "What do you see?" She asked in a whisper looking at him.
"Stay away from that boy." Aaron directed her attention to a black-haired Ravenclaw boy.
"What's wrong with him?" Abigail asked remaining quiet.
"His wand is silver lime. It means he's either a seer or a Legilimens. Either way, I don't like it."
"Legilimens?" Abigail asked confused about the term.
"Legilimens can read your thoughts and feelings. Seers can peer into the future and see channels of possibilities. Just don't let him sit here."
Abigail quickly put the picture in her pocket as the boy walked over. "Why don't you want me sitting here?" He asked sighing a little.
"It's not me it's…"
"Aaron, who's that? A boy trapped in a painting. How peculiar." His voice was calm, somewhat plain, almost uninterested; he might have been depressed.
"Students take your seats." Professor McGonagall stepped into the room and walked to the front.
The boy sat next to her. "By the way, I'm Eric, Eric Fent. I could tell that you were curious." He extended his hand to Abigail who shook it nervously.
"Abigail Richards."
"I know. Sorry." He put a hand to his head rubbing it looking a bit down.
Professor McGonagall began her lesson introducing herself and briefly going over the course before beginning the lesson. "Textbooks open to chapter one. You will never be able to cast advanced magic without basic wand exercises." She watched the students pull out their wands and begin following her as she moved her wand in a series of motions. "Very nice Mr. Dend. Everyone keeping up?" She jolted to the right while all of the students jolted to the left following her. The picture in Abigail's pocket flew out landing in the aisle.
"Oh!" Abigail paused walking into the aisle and retrieving the picture.
Professor McGonagall paused her lesson and looked over at Abigail. "Ms. Richards, what is that in your hand?"
"Nothing." She said trying to put the picture back into her pocket.
"Well if it's so important that you had to interrupt my lesson to retrieve it, you won't mind if I hold it for you until the end of the lesson. Come here. I will return it until the end of class." Abigail looked down to see Aaron crossing his arms as she walked down the aisle to the front of the room. Professor McGonagall took the picture from her and looked at it closely. Aaron looked back at her and waved. "On second thought, I would like to have a word with you after class." She tucked the picture into her pocket while Abigail returned to her seat and resumed the lesson.
…
Abigail finished putting her books in her bag as the lesson ended. She walked up front where Professor McGonagall was waiting. "Ms. Richards, I am aware that you have classes now. I want you to come to my office when you are finished. It is in the gargoyle corridor. The password is Tabby. I will be holding on to your friend until then."
"But."
"No buts. Go to your next class." Abigail walked off nervously wondering Aaron's fate. "You and I will be having a conversation after this class." Professor McGonagall glared at the boy in the painting who nodded his head.
…
Professor McGonagall sat in her office chair. She pulled back the support on the frame so that the picture stood alone on her desk. "It's been a while Mr. Parker. Honestly, I thought you were lost during the battle."
"Maria hid me by trapping me in this painting."
"You two always did have an unusual relationship. However, it is nice to see that you have been found."
"I want to contact my parents." Aaron said sternly.
Professor McGonagall paced around a bit nervously before she returned to Aaron clasping her hands together. "Aaron…your parents…when Voldemort could not find you, he sent Death Eaters to the United States. They killed yours and Maria's parents." Professor McGonagall sighed bowing her head. "Your friends that he captured refused to tell anything. They were very loyal to you."
"I have to thank you for putting up with everything that I did." Aaron paced around the room that he was trapped in.
"I respected your plan. It was very clever, resourceful, and you brought together students of all houses who might not have fought Voldemort otherwise. The Wolfsbane Club was one of the school's greatest unspoken clubs. Purposefully creating werewolves to combat the Death Eaters." She smiled at the thought.
"Maria never let me become one."
"That does not matter. You were the organizer who had the plan and brought all those people together. You played a vital role in the group."
"Is there anything left of the group?"
"Perhaps your meeting room. You kids did an excellent job of securing it. The Carrows could not get in during that time they ruled the school I don't even think that they found it. However, Voldemort and the other Death Eaters publicly executed your friends who were captured. They definitely did not like you."
Aaron let out a sigh. "I've definitely had some time to study in here. I was trying to distract myself from having to hear that."
"I know that it's hard to hear. Though, with your studies, you should be able to advance a bit when we get you out of there."
"About that…"
"Yes?" Professor McGonagall asked.
"I want Abigail to free me." Aaron said looking at her with his mind made up.
"Are you sure? That could be a while."
"I'm okay waiting a bit longer, but I want you and the other professors to help prepare her."
"That should be no problem. Is there anything else?" She asked.
"Don't tell her about any of the Wolfsbane stuff. I'll tell her when I'm ready."
"Very well. I can keep a secret, like the times I saw Maria walking back to her dorm with a fox." Professor McGonagall glared at Aaron who rubbed the back of his head. "On the subject of that, there are a few favors I would like from you."
"Of course. I owe you something for everything that you have done for me."
"For starters, when you leave that painting, I want you to become registered as an Animagus."
"It's a bit late for that. I don't want to go to Azkaban."
"I will make sure that you do not go to Azkaban. If I must, I will go to the ministry myself and explain the circumstances on why you were not registered previously."
"Is there anything else?" Aaron asked.
"I don't want you teaching Ms. Richards any dark magic…"
"Dark can just mean misunderstood." Aaron interrupted.
"That does not matter. It is for her safety. That also goes for any spells that you made. I'm sure that you've had some time to make some new ones." Aaron nodded his head. Professor McGonagall rubbed her head. "It's a wonder that they did not kill you."
"My friends protected me."
"I am also hoping that you help Ms. Richards with her studies."
"That won't be a problem. Anything else?"
"If you ever need something please have her bring you to me." Aaron nodded his head.
A while later…
"Come in." Professor McGonagall said hearing a knock on the door to her office.
"Professor McGonagall?" Abigail asked walking inside.
"Hello dear. I had a conversation with Aaron. Here he is." She handed Abigail the picture. "Keep him safe. He is trusting you to free him from that picture."
"Thank you." Abigail said looking at Aaron who nodded his head.
"And I am sure that he can help you with your studies. He was quite the gifted student, and he still is. That is all."
"Thank you, professor." Abigail left the office looking at Aaron. "What did you talk about?"
"We were just catching up. Nothing for you to worry about." Abigail gave Aaron a look before putting him in her pocket. "Any homework?"
"Nothing for tonight. It's almost time to go to dinner though." Abigail said walking down one the corridors. She continued walking seeming to know where she was going. Eric was waiting at the end of one of the corridors.
"He won't tell you anything." Eric said looking at Abigail.
"Aaron, say hi to Eric Fent." Abigail pulled the picture from her pocket and handed it to him.
"Hello." Eric said examining the boy. "I can't read paintings."
"You couldn't read me if I was out of here. I'm a practiced Occlumens. So how are you a Legilimens this young?"
"My parents are both Legilimens. The skill comes naturally to me, sometimes like a curse." Eric handed the picture back to Abigail. "Maybe I could teach you Legilimency some time."
"That sounds fun." Abigail said walking with Eric to the grand hall. They walked to their table and sat next to each other.
"Do you mind if I sit with you?" Alice asked walking over to their place at the table.
"I'm okay with it." Eric said.
"It's fine. We're roommates anyway." Abigail smiled as she sat across from them.
"Herbology and charms sound fun." Alice said as Professor McGonagall waved her hands allowing the students to begin eating.
"Learning to ride a broomstick should be interesting." Eric said taking a sip from a goblet. "Perhaps Aaron would be able to tell us something." He turned to Abigail. "She will find out eventually. You might as well show her now."
"Um." Abigail paused reaching into her pocket and looking down at Aaron who reluctantly nodded his head. "Alice, I want you to meet Aaron." Abigail set the picture on the table.
"Hey." Aaron said.
"Ooh, an American accent. Now I'm interested." Alice smiled looking at Aaron.
"Well…Aaron is…was an American exchange student. His friend kind of trapped him in this picture when Voldemort attacked. That's all he's told me."
"And it's all you need to know." Aaron said pulling a book from his shelf beginning to read.
"And that he wants Abigail to free him from the painting." Eric chimed in.
"Hey, Legilimens, shut up." Aaron rubbed his head. "I really need to teach you Occlumency, so he'll stop reading your thoughts."
"Sorry." Eric said taking another sip from his goblet.
"Alice, would you mind showing me your wand?" Aaron asked looking up from his book.
"Why do you want to?" Alice asked in between bites of food.
"He's able to tell stuff about a person based on their wand." Abigail told her.
"Okay, here it is." Alice pulled her wand from her robes and laid it in front of Aaron who stood up from his chair to examine it.
"Hazel, very nice."
"What does it say?" Alice asked curious.
"You are emotionally in control, and I have no doubt in my mind that with proper training, you will be very powerful. With enough practice, you could be a skilled Occlumens."
Alice smiled putting her wand in her pocket. "So, what can you tell us about flying a broomstick?"
"Be calm and confident. Your broomstick senses your emotion and will reflect in its stability."
"Herbology?" Eric asked picking at his food.
"Wear your safety gear and follow instructions." The group continued to talk for a bit longer until dessert was finished and they returned to their dorm. Eric used the knocker.
Follow my words. Where am I going with this question?
"I can not follow only listen." Eric said calmly.
Well said.
The door opened letting the group inside. They split off going about their nightly activities. Abigail pulled the picture from her pocket and looked at Aaron briefly before setting the picture on her nightstand. "So, who are your professors?"
"Hooch for flying, Longbottom for herbology, Flitwick for charms, Sarmen for defense against the dark arts. He's Middle Eastern, and he's so relaxed and cool."
"Don't show me to him. I never got along with defense against the dark arts professors. Who else is there?"
"You know Professor McGonagall. There's Professor Kline for potions, and that's about it. Kline seems nice. He also seems to be showing some favoritism to his students."
"It's not uncommon for that in this school. Just go do whatever you do." Aaron seemed to be growing a bit irritable as he sat down in one of his chairs. Abigail sighed walking over to her computer and grabbing her tablet beginning to draw an outline.
